Effect of Slag Composition on the Concentration of Al2O3 in the Inclusions in Si-Mn-killed Steel

The thermodynamic equilibria between CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-CaF2-MgO(-MnO) slag and Fe-1.5 mass pct Mn-0.5 mass pct Si-0.5 mass pct Cr melt was investigated at 1873 K (1600 °C) in order to understand the effect of slag composition on the concentration of Al2O3 in the inclusions in Si-Mn-killed steels. The composition of the inclusions were mainly equal to (mol pct MnO)/(mol pct SiO2) = 0.8(±0.06) with Al2O3 content that was increased from about 10 to 40 mol pct by increasing the basicity of slag (CaO/SiO2 ratio) from about 0.7 to 2.1. The concentration ratio of the inclusion components, $$ {{X_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }} \cdot X_{\text{MnO}} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{X_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }} \cdot X_{\text{MnO}} } {X_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {X_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }} }} $$ , and the activity ratio of the steel components, $$ {{a_{\text{Al}}^{2} \cdot a_{\text{Mn}} \cdot a_{\text{O}}^{2} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{a_{\text{Al}}^{2} \cdot a_{\text{Mn}} \cdot a_{\text{O}}^{2} } {a_{\text{Si}} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {a_{\text{Si}} }} $$ , showed a good linear relationship on a logarithmic scale, indicating that the activity coefficient ratio of the inclusion components, $$ {{\gamma_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{i} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\gamma_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{i} } {\left( {\gamma_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{i} \cdot \gamma_{\text{MnO}}^{i} } \right)}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left( {\gamma_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{i} \cdot \gamma_{\text{MnO}}^{i} } \right)}} $$ , was not significantly changed. From the slag-steel-inclusion multiphase equilibria, the concentration of Al2O3 in the inclusions was expressed as a linear function of the activity ratio of the slag components, $$ {{a_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{s} \cdot a_{\text{MnO}}^{s} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{a_{{{\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} }}^{s} \cdot a_{\text{MnO}}^{s} } {a_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{s} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {a_{{{\text{SiO}}_{2} }}^{s} }} $$ on a logarithmic scale. Consequently, a compositional window of the slag for obtaining inclusions with a low liquidus temperature in the Si-Mn-killed steel treated in an alumina ladle is recommended.